Player piano and the like



July 22, 1924.

J. H. DICKINSON PLAYER PIANO AND THE LIKE Filed June 8,

awuewiio c yt4;u4 51 1 M alibi mal m Patented July 22, 1924.

JOSEPH HUNTER. DICKINSON, OF LARCHMON'T, NEW .AEOLIAN COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PLAYER PIANO Application filed June 8,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosnPH H. DICKINSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Larchmont, lVestchester County, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Player Pianos and the like,

of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to illuminating the words of a song-roll or the expres- 1 sion markings, etc., on the perforated musicrolls while in use in a player-piano or the like, and for this purpose adaptively provides an electric-lamp in the tracker-box of the player. The invention also provides broadly for the automatic control of said light from a suitably related movable part of the instrument.

The invention may also comprise pneumatic means for controlling said light which automatically throws on the light while the exhauster is being operated, and vice versa cuts it off when the exhauster is not being operated. This feature is particularly useful in a. foot-pumped instrument but is nevertheless broadly applicable to a. motor-pumped instrument.

The invention may also comprise means which automatically cuts off the light while the music-sheet is being rewound on its spool, this feature being specially useful wherever it is important to economize in electric current, as for example when using a battery of dry-cells for the current source.

The drawings show only one of the specific embodiments that my invention is adapted to take, the electric switches being shown in a diagrammatic form for simplicitys sake rather than in their commercial form as required to satisfy the fire underwriters. In said drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the tracker-box and pneumatic motor portions of an upright player piano showing the electric light in place, also indicating in side elevation the foot-pumped suction-producer of the player with a diagram of the electrical connections between the foregoing and the current source, which source may be either a battery (full line) or the regular electric-lighting mains (dotted lines) according to the particular home equipment of the user; Fig. 2 is a reduced-scale vertical section onthe line 22 in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

I will now describe the particular em- YORK, .ASSIGNOR TO THE CONNECTICUT.

AND THE LIKE.

1920. Serial No. 387,307.

bodiment of my invention as illustrated in the drawings. 1 is the tracker-box of the instrument, 2 the tracker-bar, 3 the spool of the music-sheet 4; 5 is the take-up spool, 6 is the pneumatic motor.

The music-roll and take-up spool are shown operatively supported in the usual well-known manner.

Any usual clutch mechanism may be provided for connecting the motor 6 so as to drive either the take-up spool spindle 7 to draw the music-sheet downwardly over the tracker-bar in playing direction, or vice versa to disconnect the motor from the take up spool and to connect it with the musicspool spindle 8. The clutch and related mechanism shown comprises the chain and sprocket drive 9 from the motor to the shaft 10 on which is mounted the loose sprocket 11 having clutch-pin 12 engageable by the pin 13 on the slidable clutch-sleeve let splined to the shaft 10. The aforesaid sprocket 11 is chain-connected to another sprocket 15 on the music-spool driving-spindle 8. When the clutch-sleeve 14 is in its right-hand position as shown in Fig. 1, it will be seen that the motor is disconnected from the take-up spool and is connected to the music-spool spindle 8 so as to rewind the music-sheet upwardly on the music-spool.

lVhen the clutch-sleeve 14 is shifted to the left, its pinion 14 is meshed with the gear 16 on the take-up spool spindle 7 and then the motor will drive the take-up spool and draw the music-sheet downwardlyover the tracker-bar to play it.

The means for shifting the. clutch-sleeve 1 1 as aforesaid may be automatic from the music-sheet in the well-known manner or may be manual and in that case may consist of the swinging hand-lever 17 link-connection 18 to the lower end of lever 19 pivotally sup ported at 20, and link-connection 21 to lever 22 pivotally supported at 23 with its upper end engaging an annular groove in the clutch-sleeve 14C.

The foot-pumping plant shown comprises the usual pedal-means 2 1 operatively connected with the pumper-bellows 25. 26 is the spring tending to collapse the pumper 25 after the depression of the pedal 24 has opened it. 27 is the reservoir box and 28 is the reservoir bellows. This being a wellknown apparatus in the art, it is entirely unnecessary to illustrate or describe the internal valves and air-passages bywhich operating the pumper bellows 25 results in exhausting the chamber 2-7 and the reservoir bellows 28, .with the result that, depending upon the force and rapidity of the pump; ing, said reservoir bellows 28'is collapsed to a. greater or-less extent againstthe tension of the spring 29 which resists the collapse of the bellows.

The reservoirs 27 and 28 are, of course,

operativelyconnected as usualbytubing,

not shown, with the pneumatic motor 6 and therest of the player-action.

ltihas-been necessary to show and'describe the above usual parts of-the player atileast to this limited extent 'in order to make: clear theiroperative combination with the other parts of my invention as follows:

30 is-aniincandescent lamp and socket supported on a bracket 31 on :theright side ot'ithe tracker-boxxabove and in front of the; music-roll 1 so as to illuminate particularii the ri ht hand oart of the mus1csheet :where the :words of song rolls, etc., are

customarily printed. The lamp is prefer ably ofthe: elongated cylindrical type sur= mounted :by asemi-cylindrical reflector 32' longer :than the lamp so as to ill-umine effectively more of the width of the sheet to show up. the expression line and other indiciaon. the sheet.

The front-board otlthe piano-casing- (shown only in Fig- 2) has the usual open- 7 ing; at the tracker-box indicated by the dotted outlinel in Fig. 1 for inserting and playing. the music-roll.

Tnaddition to a pull or other'hand-switch 33 isthetracker-box accessible to the operator,-fl provide automatic means switching on and otl 'the current to-the lamp 30. asiollows: 34E is a. switch comprising a stationary contact 34 and a movable contact34c the latter being operated to and from the stationary contact by alink-connection35 withthe lever 19 of the clutch mechanism so that during: rewind these contacts are open (and'the light is off as hereinafter explained).,' whereas during playing the contacts are closed (and the light is 011)..

36 is another switch comprising a stationary contact 36?. and aemovable contactBG 36.is a spring which.whenunopposed closes the movable contact with the stationary contact. The free end of themovable contact extends into the path of a lugQe on the reservoir bellows28 so that said lug will strike against and open the movable contact 36 due to the expansion'of the'spring- 29. when the pumpingplant is not being operated, and there .is no exhaust on the bellows 28. On the other hand, as soon as thepumpers 25 are worked and the reservoir bellows 28 has started to collapse, the

; said lug 28? is carried'away from the movfor- able'contact 36 and the spring 36 there 3a-will have been automatically opened by" theoperator at the same time that the clutch was shifted to rewind. Therefore, during the rewind, the lamp'will be dark and thatmuchcurrent will be saved, which is important especiallywhen using a battely.

nota financial object-to save the lamp current during the rewind, then theswitch 84 could be dispensed with.

When the music-sheet is being played with If the house-mains be used and it is the clutch in play position, then the switch 34. will be closed, as will be also the switch 36 and the light will be on, this being the time that the light is needed to'read the words or other indicia on the music sheet' as is passes down over thetracker-bar.

Should now the operator shift the clutch to rewind, the light will automatically'go out as already explained, dueto the opening of theswltch 34. Also the light will auto-" matically go out if the operator gets up fromthe instrument without shifting the clutch to rewind; because after the pump ing stopsflthe spring 29 will expand the reservoir-bellows 2 8and the lug 28 on its movable board Wlll open the contacts of the switch 36 and thereby automatically breakthe'electric circuit to the lamp.

It should be understood that'the pneumatic means for controlling the switch 36 need not be'the specilicbellows 28 but may be; some other bellows or pneumatic opera bly related to the pneumatic action of the player.

Also the control of the light from the unwind and rewind clutch mechanism is practicable irrespective of whether the instrument is foot or motor pumped. Also, other changes and modifications are possible in the above specific embodiment of my invention which are nevertheless within the spirit of'said invention andof the foregolngl disclosure and the annexed claims,-

and as such are intended to'be covered thereby. i What I claim is: V I 1; In combination, a pneumatic player action, a tracker-bar, means for unwinding and rewindingthe sheet of a music-roll over Also the pumpin plant need not be foot-pumped but may be motor-driven.

said tracker-bar, an electric lamp which illuminates the sheet of said music-roll, an electrical circuit for said lamp, and pneumatic means which controls said lamp circuit and which itself is operably related to the pneumatic player action.

2. In an automatic player, a foot-operated exhauster, a tracl-zer-bar, means for unwindingancl rewinding the sheet of a music-roll over said trackenbar, an electric lamp which illumines the sheet of said music-roll, an electrical circuit for said lamp, and pneumatic means operably connected with said cxhauster and arranged to make or break said electric lamp circuit depending upon whether the eXhauster is in. or out of operation.

3. In an automatic player, an exhauster, a tracker-bar, means for unwinding and rewinding the sheet of a music-roll over said tracker-bar, an electric lamp which illumines the sheet of said music-roll an electrical circuit for said lamp, a pneumatic connected with said exhauster, a spring which expands said pneumatic when the exhauster is out of operation, and a self-closing switch in the aforesaid lamp-circuit operably positioned relatively to said pneu- 'matic for the expansion of the pneumatic bv the spring to opeii said switch and for the collapse of the pneumatic by the exhauster to permit said switch to close itself.

4:. In an automatic player, an exhauster, a tracker-bar, means for unwinding and rewinding the sheet of a music-roll over said tracker-bar, an electriclamp which illumines the sheet of said music-roll, an electrical circuit for said lamp, a pneumatic operably connected with said exhauster and arranged to make or break said lamp-circuit depending upon whether or not the pneumatic is being exhausted.

5. In an automatic player, a tracker-bar, means for operatively supporting a musicroll relatively to said trackerbar, a take-up spool, a motor, clutch mechanism for connecting the motor either to unwind or rewind the music-roll, an electric lamp which illumines the sheet of said music-roll, an electrical circuit for said lamp, and a switch in said circuit operably connected with the clutch mechanism to be closed when the clutch is at unwind and t be opened when the clutch is at rewind.

6. In an automatic player, an exhauster, a trackerba-r, means for operatively supporting a music-roll relatively to said tracker-bar, a take-up spool, a motor, clutch mechanism for connecting the motor either to unwind or rewind the music-roll, an electrical lamp which illumines the sheet of said music-roll, an electric circuit for said lamp, a switch in said circuit operably connected with the clutch mechanism to be closed when the clutch is at unwind and to be opened when the clutch is at rewind; a second switch in the lamp circuit in series with the first switch; and pneumatic means connected with the exhauster to control said second switch so that it is closed when the exhauster is in operation and is open when the exhauster is out of operation.

7. In an automatic player embodying pneumatic means for actuating it and music roll means for supporting a music sheet in playing position, a lamp positioned to illuminate a music sheet in playing position, and means controlled according to the presence or absence of pneumatic operating conditions in said pneumatic means for lighting and extinguishing said lamp.

8.-In combination with a player piano having through the front-board of its casing an opening behind which are located the music-roll, tracker-bar and take-up spool, an electric lamp behind the plane of said front-board to illumine the front face of the music-sheet, an electric circuit for said lamp, and means which controls said lamp circuit and which itself is operably related to and controlled by a movable part of said piano.

9. In combination with automatic player mechanism controlled from a perforated musicsheet, an electric lamp located to illuminate said music-sheet; an electric circuit for said lamp; and means which controls said lamp circuit and which itself is operably related to and controlled by a movable part of the mechanism of said automatic player.

10. In an automatic player, a tracker-bar, means for operatively supporting a musicsheet relatively to said tracker-bar, a motor, clutch mechanism for connecting the motor either to unwind or rewind the music-sheet, an electric lamp which illuminates said music-sheet, an electrical circuit for said lamp, and means which controls said lamp circuit and which itself is operably related to and controlled by the clutch mechanism.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of June, 1920.

JOSEPH HUNTER- DICKINSON. 

